Fight for Your Love
by QueenofRedonda
Summary: Sere/Dare 1st Season romance, fluffy and feel-good. A not so typical approach to how Serena and Darien fall in love. Includes Senshi/Shittenou. AU
1. Chapter 1

((This is my first fan fic! I would greatly appreciate reviews/comments and I will try to keep updating consistently. I hope my plot doesn't seem too dry, but I will keep writing and I promise it gets better! I have a general idea of where this is going, Thanks for reading! Oh yeah, the plot is manga based bc i thought having them closer in age works a bit better for their characters and I'm using the dub names bc I'm used to those except I do like it when he calls her Usako... ))

She trudged home after receiving another failed exam back. Her mother was not going to be happy. Maybe she'd get kicked out this time? Oh well...

Even though Serena was 14, her life was hard. On the outside everyone saw the bubbliest most optimistic and carefree girl you could ever meet. But appearances lie, and there was definitely more to Serena.

Yes she was happy but that didn't mean she was never sad. She was the only one of her four other friends who was single. She began to see less of them when one of them had began dating, so that only made her more aware of what she didn't have. She longed for a lovey-dovey walk in the park, sharing ice cream, and if meant having someone who loved you, Serena would even consider a going on a study date.

Her optimism was easily her best quality. She was the most loyal friend you could have, and yet there she was, a beautiful blonde and actually friendly young lady who could not for the life of her attain a boyfriend.

_What kinda world is this? I can't even get a date. I guess that doesn't even matter anymore, I wouldn't be able to go seeing as how mama is going to ground me 'till I'm 18 when she sees this_? She sighed; she continued walking home, distracted by her thoughts, almost crossing the street during a red light.

In a blur she was in someone's arms. Strong muscular arms that felt familiar, she knew she was safe. A truck zoomed by and Serena realized she had just in fact been saved, but when she turned around to thank her savior, there was no one there. The bustling city paid no attention to the frozen girl on the sidewalk.

Trudging along, she resumed her walk home. She walked past the Crown arcade, and inside caught a glimpse of her daily tormentor. He happened to be looking in her direction and she turned away, continuing her walk back home. She missed the frown that appeared on his face, and he began to wonder if the incident earlier had left her in a state of shock. His favorite Odango would never pass by without stopping in for a milkshake, he knew something was wrong.

After contemplating whether or not to go after her, he decided he would not be able to quell his curiosity. He bid farewell to Andrew, but then decided to order a milkshake.

"A milkshake? For you?" Andrew was sure he had heard wrong.

"I thought I'd order one. Break the old routine." Darien couldn't think of anything else to say.

In the blink of an eye, Andrew had the milkshake ready, and as Darien stepped out the door, he heard Andrew yell, "It's chocolate, her favorite!"


	2. Chapter 2

(( Here's Ch. 2! Still developing the characters a little bit more, will try to get the chapters longer soon.

& I guess a _disclaimer_ is necessary since I'm not Naoko Takeuchi ))

Serena had walked about halfway home when she heard someone yell "Meatball Head!" She sighed and turned around. They were obviously calling for her, and she knew it could only be one person. She decided to stop walking so he could catch up to her, she could see his sprinting figure in the distance, yet in a flash he was standing in front of her.

"I saw you walk past the arcade and I was surprised you didn't go in. I didn't know what to think, it could only be the end of the world if the infamous Meatball Head skipped out on the arcade."

Serena gave a half smile. She wasn't in the mood to argue, but she couldn't deny she would have missed their verbal spat if she had gone straight home. Darien was staring at her, it was unusual for her to be so quiet.

"Odango?"

"See ya Darien, I've gotta go home. Maybe we'll run into each other when I'm twenty."

_20? What?_ "Hey!" He grabbed her wrist, keeping a firm grip so she wouldn't run off. He didn't need her to run away from him right now, especially since he needed to know what was wrong with her.

"Serena, what do you mean? You won't be twenty for another six years.."

"Yeah well after this I'll be locked up forever. It was nice knowing you" She had her test paper crumpled in her hand and she handed it to him, expecting his insults.

"A 60% ? You know, I'm sure your parents won't be too mad. I mean, compared to the one you threw at me, this is an improvement!" He winked at her as he handed back the test, and she stared at him, not quite believing he had not trampled over her last remaining dignity.

"Are you sure YOU'RE okay? I mean, I was expecting some remark about how I'm stupid or lazy or both"

"I wouldn't do that. I mean, yeah I tease you and call you names, but I can see today is different. I can see you're not the same. I fight with you because it's fun for both of us, and even I know I shouldn't push you too far"

"Thanks Darien. That actually made me feel slightly better. I still have to face my mom though. Maybe she'll see the test isn't a 30 and have some pity on me." She turned around but missed her step and fell backwards. Except she didn't land on the floor, two strong arms held her up. Darien could not help the laugh that escaped, and Serena was ready for battle.

"You jerk! You had to cancel the one good deed of your life by laughing at me?!" She was about to continue her wailing when Darien silenced her by cupping her mouth closed. Seemingly out of nowhere, he conjured up a milkshake and this got her attention.

"Well you were about to leave and I wasn't done talking to you, very rude Meatball Head"

She stuck out her tongue and said "SERENA. Not Meatball Head. Honestly, if you have trouble with my name then maybe you're the Meatball Head"

He had to laugh more at this. It was a genuine laugh, and she knew it wasn't directed at her so she couldn't stop herself from joining in. He composed himself and handed her the shake, brushing her fingers and then he winked at her.

"Later 'Rena" He waved and he was off. He didn't look back or he would have seen the blush creeping on her face as she stood there awkwardly, frozen by his actions. She finally remembered who she was and continued home. Having had a slight distraction before facing her mother had served to push down her fears and she felt she could face her mother as soon as she finished her walk and her milkshake.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for the reviews! As I mentioned, this is my first fan fic, so every word of encouragement makes my day!

(Disclaimer & all that good stuff)

The next morning Serena was up before her alarm went off. Her mother had gone off about her grades but being a daddy's girl, her father had helped calm down Mrs. Tsukino. Unfortunately, Serena was on thin ice so she could not make a false move the next few days or she would be seriously grounded. To prove to her parents that she did want to improve her grades and overall in other aspects like her tardiness, she had to be early for school.

"Why does school have to start so early? I mean, if we had an extra hour of sleep, we'd probably be better students since we'd all be well rested and not dying of sleep.."

Her cat Luna was asleep and Serena realized there was no point in talking to herself so she went downstairs to eat an actual breakfast instead of her usual toast to go.

On her way to school she didn't run in to Darien, and thus she arrived early at school. Her classmates gave her skeptical looks. Serena Tsukino was never early. She took her seat and decided to rest her head when she heard someone call her name.

Ami Mizuno, academic extraordinaire, was waving at her from across the room, having arrived seconds after Serena.

She made her way towards her blonde friend. "I don't want to seem rude, but why are you early today?" Ami creased her eyebrows in concentration, as if Serena was suspicious.

"Actually, after the test Haruna gave us back yesterday, I had to show my parents that I can be more than just a klutzy, lazy Meatball Head" She regretted the bitter words she spoke as soon as they had left her mouth. She was not ready for a heart to heart at school.

"That's great Serena! I'm sure you can make your parents proud!" Ami's smile gave Serena courage, her friends seemed to believe in her, which was a nice contrast to the reprimands she would receive from failing as both a student and Sailor Scout. She looked at Ami and couldn't help but reach over and squeeze her, a hug that expressed her thanks for her kind words. Ami was one of Serena's best friends. Sure they were also Sailor Scouts, but their friendship was stronger than any ties like searching for a princess.

"Actually Serena. It seems funny now, but Lita suggested that we check you out, for  
weird readings. He he he.. We kinda thought the Negaverse was behind your sudden change"

"Yeah, I told Ami to come talk to you and I would be around observing. I guess we got a bit carried away." Serena's other friend Lita showed up behind them, and gave them a sheepish smile after confessing their plan.

"I guess that makes sense. Anyway, I actually had to come to school early. And I did my homework because I'm about one bad grade away from military school. You know my mom, crazy about school." Serena shooed her friends away from her desk as Ms. Haruna walked in, she didn't need to draw unwanted attention to herself. Today, she was going to be the best student Haruna had ever seen.

After a math and science lesson, the girls had lunch. Their usual spot was under a tree, and today they were gathered there, accompanied by Luna.

"I was investigating Sailor V, and I think she may be a scout. I'm not sure why she wouldn't come find us though, so that's still a possibility. I would hope she turns out to be our ally, we could definitely use more help against the Negaverse. Well that's all for today. I'll see you girls after school!", and she scampered off, leaving the girls without answering any questions.

Amy was the first to speak, " If Sailor V is a scout, I too would like to know why she hasn't approached us, our Sailor selves. What if she doesn't want to join us?"

Lita and Serena had been thinking along the same lines. Sure, they had managed to defeat countless Youma, but only after a long battle and after Sailor Moon used her tiara. They had heard rumors that Sailor V could beat her enemies with just one shot.

"Maybe she doesn't think we're good enough. I mean, even I admit that the four of us sometimes struggle to defeat the youma, and she's been taking them down on her own. Maybe she is better and thinks we'd just drag her down?" Lita pursed her lip. It wasn't easy admitting she was weaker than her. However Serena had yet to enter the conversation, she was still lost in thought.

"Earth to Serena.."  
"Serena"

"Hmm?" She looked up and saw Amy and Lita giving her quizzical looks.

"What are you thinking about? What are your thoughts on Sailor V?" Amy was curious to know her leader's opinion.

"Well, you guys both made good points. But if all of this is true, then I can only see one outcome to why she acts the way she does."

They both looked at her, still not understanding.

Serena continued, "You guys, she's the Moon Princess!"

...

The girls all met outside the school to walk to the arcade together, and surprisingly, they left early since Serena had gone the whole day without getting a detention. Ms. Haruna had sure been confused and slightly thrown off by her good behavior.

At the arcade, they took their spots at their booth. Serena was like a little sister to Andrew, who worked there for his dad, and decided she'd say hi.

"Andrew!", she chirped at him, he looked up from the orders he had just placed and ran to Serena and engulfed her in a bear hug.

"Leave the poor Odango alone, she can't breathe" laughed a handsome guy behind them.

"You're probably just jealous of Andrew" Serena countered and as she was freed from Andrew, she made her way towards Darien, who was ready to be yelled at, but instead, he felt her lips on his cheek.

"It's okay though, he's just like my brother. No need to get ants in your pants Darien" and she sauntered off to join her friends. Darien was still not breathing, and Andrew smacked his head.

"You know, you should wear a bib"

"Huh?"

"Well, Stop drooling over Sere or get yourself a bib" Andrew exaggerated his laugh; he knew Darien would be annoyed at his antics.  
"I'll get you your daily special, just clean up that drool off the floor."

Darien was still not in all his senses so he actually looked down. Andrew could not believe his friend, and laughed as he went to get his coffee. Darien was the smartest guy he knew, but sometimes, a certain Meatball Head caused him to lose his brain.

Serena joined her friends who had already ordered for her and soon enough, their friend Rei came in. The miko was in a rather bad mood as she slammed her purse on the table and made a face that made Lita scoot over, she didn't want to be too close when Rei exploded.

"What's wrong pyro? Didn't sell any charms?" Serena asked as she sipped on her shake.

"Actually Meatball brains, no. My wonderful mood has nothing to do with charms. I was at school, minding my own business when that darned fan club that follows me around volunteered me to work at the bake sale on Saturday! Can you believe them?! I had a date planned and now I'm stuck selling cookies!"

She dropped her head down on the table and stole Serena's fries, sulking as she tried to think of a way to get out of her assignment.

"Maybe Andrew can help you? He's done me a few favors when my mom signs me up for her knitting club stuff" Her friends made a face as Serena went to find him.

She saw a girl sitting alone with a cat on her lap. It was such a beautiful cat she couldn't help but want to pet it, so she approached the girl.  
"Hi, my name is Serena, you have such an adorable cat!"

"Thanks! His name is Artemis, feel free to play with him" she smiled at the girl with the funny hairstyle, inhaling rather sharply when she realized the girl looked so familiar. "Silly me, I didn't even tell you my name. It's Mina, I just moved here from London a few days ago." They shook hands and talked about their cats, not noticing Darien staring at them.

Mina finally looked up and saw the Darien was hopelessly lost in Serena, "Your boyfriend wants to talk to you I think. He keeps looking at you"

Serena was about to correct her when she saw Darien turn back around. "He's not my boyfriend… I mean, he's actually just some guy I know. Well I have to go. I have to find Andrew, the guy who works here and ask for his help. It was nice meeting you!" She skipped towards Darien and poked his other cheek, a friendly reminder of the kiss she gave him. He blushed furiously and avoided her gaze, grabbing a book and hiding behind it. He was not ready for Serena. How was he supposed to react when she flirted with him? He sighed and gave her a mocking glare. He did not understand her. She seemed to sense his insecurities, and laughed. He was left baffled, there was certainly more to his favorite Odango then he had ever guessed.


	4. Chapter 4

Serena took a seat on the counter next to Darien, and ignored him. She sat there patiently, waiting for Andrew. She knew he wouldn't help her if she upset him by fighting with Darien. Darien was still on cloud nine. Never in his wildest dreams had his Odango kissed his cheek on her own free will. It was too much.

Serena saw Andrew and immediately switched into her sweetest voice, knowing Andrew always gave in to her. She smirked. Sometimes Andrew was too easy.  
"Andyyyy, can I ask you something?"

Andrew turned around, not quite realizing he was walking into her trap. Serena saw he was not focused, so convincing him would be easy. He was ready for her sometimes, but today he was not prepared.

"So today I had such a great day, I woke up early and my day was great! How was your day?"

"It was okay. Well in Chemistry, I spaced out a litle and when Mr. Zayd called on me I couldn't answer. It was embarrassing. Fortunately, Dare-Bear saved me by answering and the teacher didn't get mad."

"I didn't know you and Darien had Chemistry together, I'm sure he's the class nerd" she laughed, and was surprised that Darien didn't bother defending himself. She decided to avoid bickering so she steered the conversation away from Darien. When both Andrew and Serena were lost in conversation she sighed.

"What's wrong Sere?"  
"Well, Rei was volunteered against her will to volunteer for some bake sale. The problem is, she has a date. I feel so bad for her, I mean, she didn't even tease me like usual. She just plopped down and ate my fries. She's actually sulking! It seems serious because she isn't ranting, she seems a little depressed. I'm just upset that I can't help her though…"

Andrew knew Serena cared deeply for her friends and when they were upset, she was too.  
"What if I help her out? You know, how I helped you out by saying you were helping me by covering for Lizzie?"

Serena seemed to brighten at his suggestion so he asked her to give him the number to Rei's school and he'd fix it. Serena was glad her planned worked. She actually convinced herself as she talked to Andrew that she really would be sad if Rei missed her date. Just because she didn't have a date didn't mean she wanted her friends to fare the same; she wanted the best for them. She hugged Andrew and winked at Darien who had been stealing glances at them & then she returned to say goodbye to her friends. She wanted to be home earlier than usual. She had a gut feeling there would be Negaverse activity this weekend so if she started her homework early, she wouldn't fall behind. It was nice to have more time after school, and she was determined to improve, if not for the rest of the year, at least for the semester.

"I'm leaving early you guys, don't want to ruin my good day by getting home late and getting grounded. Bye!"

"Bye Sere! See you tomorrow!" They all had agreed to meet for brunch, but afterwards, Lita and Amy had a double date, and Rei was off with Jason. Serena had over heard her plans and began walking home. She stopped when she passed the park and decided she had more than enough time to spare. She stopped at an empty bench and sat down, watching the couples pass by. She saw a family pass by and her heart warmed. One of her biggest dreams was to have a husband and a family. She couldn't wait for that.

"Meatball head?"

"Oh. Hey Dare-Bear"

Darien hated that name, it had been given to him by his friends at school, but hearing his Odango call him such an endearing name, well, he was more than okay with that. He sat down next to her and handed her a piece of chocolate, and they ate in silence. He didn't know what to say to her. The past day with her had seen a complete shift in their patterns, and he wasn't sure how that had happened. He would have never thought they could sit beside each other in peace, in public. It was a good change though, and he hoped he didn't ruin it.

"So whatcha doing? Going home?"

"Well yeah. My apartment's about ten minutes away from here. I usually take a shortcut through the park. It's a nice walk. I saw you sitting here, you're hair is too unique to confuse you with anyone else"

Her communicator suddenly went off and she excused herself.  
"That's my alarm! Gotta go! Papa hates it when I get home after dark. See ya around Dare-Bear"

He chuckled softly to himself. She was as peaceful as the moon, and then she could be a whirlwind. He loved her energy. He stood up and realized maybe Dare-Bear wasn't such a bad name after all.

He had walked about twenty feet when he felt the urge to transform. Sailor Moon needed his help. He ducked behind a tree and when the coast was clear, Tuxedo Mask emerged. He raced off towards where he felt Sailor Moon. He never questioned their link, it was something that felt natural to him. He sometimes wondered if the link was mutual, but he had never asked, afraid it was a one way system and then he'd probably look like a stalker to the scouts.

He had arrived at the battle when he saw Sailor Moon throw her tiara at the youma, and it was dusted. He didn't know if he should feel bad for not being needed to save her, or to congratulate her for her great work. Sailor moon turned around and caught his eye, so he decided on the latter.

"Great work Sailor Moon. You dusted the youma on your own. You are growing as a soldier and I commend your hard work. Until next time"

Sailor Moon jumped onto the nearest roof and watched as her masked hero disappeared into the horizon. She was soon joined by the scouts, and she told them the youma had been pretty weak, and she was able to dust it as soon as Luna had called. They all parted ways, and they all smiled because they could see their leader was trying. She wasn't perfect, but her determination to be better was motivation for all of them.


	5. Chapter 5

_I think I should clarify the ages of the Senshi/shittenou_  
_Serena, Lita & Amy are 14 (8th graders). Rei and Mina are 15 (Rei in 9th, Mina in 8th)_  
_Darien & Nick (Neph) & Ken (Kunz) are 16 and in the 11th grade_  
_Jason (Jed) is 15 and in 10th_  
_& Zayn (Zoi) is 14, 8th grade_

(Usual Disclaimer: still not the owner of Sailor Moon. )

When Darien arrived at his apartment, he decided an early dinner would be great. Since he had not been in the battle, he wasn't tired so he decided to cook up a decent meal, for which he had been lacking time and energy recently. He was serving his plate when his doorbell rang.

"Coming!"

He peaked through the door and saw his friend Nick grinning at him. He opened the door and realized Nick wasn't alone. He was followed by Zayn and Jason. Jason was carrying four pizza boxes, and Zayn had root beer. He realized they had invited themselves over and sighed. His peaceful dinner would be some other day.

"So we were thinking, '_When was the last time we had a guys night at Darien's?_' and we all decided it was time to come over for a visit. There's a game on in a bit so we thought we'd come over and bring pizza", Zayn said matter-of-factly.

Darien rolled his eyes. There was only one reason they were free on a Friday night.  
"Your girlfriends are busy today huh?"

They all looked at the floor. Nick coughed and reaffirmed themselves.  
"Well it just so happens that they are busy the same day we are interested in having a guys night. Coincidence."

Darien decided to accept their excuses and followed Nick into the living room, where Zayn and Jason had already claimed the couch. He had a bean bag stored in his closet for when they came over so he brought it out for Nick. He had a recliner that was strictly reserved for him, a privilege for the apt owner only.

A few hours later, they were chatting about their favorite players on the team, and from there, arguing over who was better. It was Jason who mentioned his girlfriend, and Darien was surprised. It was Rei!

"Well she said she got out of volunteering, thanks to her friend. I'm glad she did, I have tickets to the art gallery she's been talking about. They weren't cheap!"

Darien had never questioned his friends over who dated who, he wasn't nosy. But since he knew her he was slightly curious so he asked, " Are you dating Rei Hino?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well she hangs out at the arcade that I frequent. You know the place where Andrew works?"

"Really? She told me she hangs out at some arcade with her friends but I never caught the name. I guess I should stop by more often"

It was then that Nick and Zayn realized Darien didn't know their girlfriends were all friends so they told him. He was slightly shocked that his group of friends were all dating Serena's friends. And they actually knew Serena as well!

"Well she's cute. Not my type but you should go for her" Jason nudged and winked at Darien.

"Blonde, blue-eyed beauty. Totally sounds like Darien's type" His friends snorted. The only girl that had come close to dating their friend was a brunette their freshmen year of high school. They all went to high school together and had not seen anyone else catch his interest.

"Maybe Darien's type isn't girls" Jason ran out the living room, just in time, avoiding a shoe that Darien had thrown. The others were laughing at him, and Zayn fell off the couch, knocking over a bowl of chips.

"I'll clean it up, no need to growl Dare-Bear"

"Don't leave crumbs Z." Darien contemplated telling them his current situation with his Odango. However those thoughts were squashed by his brain.

"Wait, Sere said she knows you! I mentioned something about coming over for Chemistry help once and she said she knew you. How come you didn't tell us?" Jason gave a suspicious glare at Darien, who at this point had decided he'd rather tell them the facts then have them hear some rumor. So he told them how he had met her about 4 months ago, and how they used to fight. He then finished by telling them how since yesterday she was flirting with him, which left him puzzled.

Of course his friends fell over laughing. Darien was one of the most popular guys at school, and the thought of him being left speechless by a girl was hilarious. However, they had all met Serena and they admitted she really was beautiful, and she definitely did not look 14.

When the guys had left it was a little after midnight. Darien knew he would not be getting a decent sleep this night, and his thoughts all wandered to Serena. It was only a few days ago that he was picking on her, and he was sure he made her cry a few times. They fought like cats and dogs, and he was positive they were polar opposites. But the thing about opposites, as he was aware of, is that they attract. He still wasn't sure what caused his Odango's sudden change but he would not go back to the days when she would yell at him, saying she hated him. He fell asleep as he realized that he was falling in love with Serena, and that night he had the best sleep in years.

* * *

The next morning he was set the guys at the Crown. They were hoping to catch their girlfriends there, and Darien knew if the girls were there, Serena would be there as well. It was around 10 when his friends finally showed up, and Darien had been there for about half an hour.

"What took you guys so long? I've been sitting here waiting for you so I could get some breakfast"

"Sorry D, we all slept in I guess" Nick replied as he yawned.

Jason, being Jason, was booming with energy. He had only slept a few hours and yet his enthusiasm was a little too much for the rest of them.

"So what are your plans for the day Mr. Serious?"

"Well Jason, I'm headed to the bookstore later on to pick up some reading material, and then I'll probably have a nice QUIET dinner. Nothing special."

Nick snorted. "Darien, You need to get out more. Live a little. Don't spend your weekend in that cave of yours."

"I know what Darien needs." Zayn always seemed to have an answer. "It's actually quite simple. Even Jason would comprehend."

Jason looked at Darien, then eyed him from head to toe. He seemed to realize something.  
"Aha! Zayn you're a genius!"

Zayn rolled his eyes, used to such compliments. "Duh."

Jason continued, "hey Dare, what's something you don't have that I do?" He winked as he finished his sentence. Darien rolled his eyes, he was not in the mood for Jason's mischief. Darien stood up, showing he did not want to find out what he was thinking.

"Wait hear me out! If you don't I'll tell about that one time you did that thing that Nick doesn't know about!"

Darien searched his memories for something, realizing Jason was bluffing, but that moment of hesitation gave Jason and Zayn time to grab him and force him in the middle of the booth. He was trapped.

"And I know just who can fix him." Jason was practically beaming,

"So you know me and the guys all have dates today right? Nick and Zayn are double dating tonight and I'm going with Rei to the art gallery. Which means you're alone. And someone else is too, since all her friends are busy. Get where I'm going?" He raised his eyebrows, insinuating his thoughts.

Darien smacked his head on the table. He did not want to get set up by his friends. A date with the Odango would be great, but not if it was being planned by his friends. They had a horrible reputation as match makers, and he did not need to be one of their horror stories.

"Guys. I don't want a blind date. Seriously. No."

"But it's not a blind date, you know her! Heck, I think you might even like her" Jason was on a roll.

"Maybe we shouldn't meddle. I don't think Sere's friends would appreciate this" Zayn, being the logical one, was beginning to think of what Amy might say. He also did not want to be on the receiving end of Serena's wrath. She was scary when angered.

This seemed to snap them back into reality. What good what it do if _their_ girlfriends became angry at them for trying to set up Serena and Darien? Nope. The consequence was not worth the risk.

After a late breakfast, the guys parted ways. They all had their things to attend to and Darien wanted to get his books. He had pre-ordered a new physics book that was supposed to have Einstein's handwritten notes and he simply could not wait to read it.

AN: _So I wanted to answer a question I got on the reviews, and I'm answering here just in case this confused anyone else. I did say this was based on manga, but I guess I should change that to reflect the extent this story is based on it. I didn't like how the anime made Darien forget Serena, and all that Doom Tree stuff, so I meant it in the plot sense. But the story is totally AU now, since the generals are not working for Beryl and the characters are not strictly anime/manga version of themselves._


	6. Chapter 6

_Hope you guys like this next chapter! __ *Is it necessary to have a disclaimer?*_

Serena's Saturday morning started off rather dull. She knew her friends were busy today, so she didn't bother waking up till almost noon. She went downstairs and was surprised to see her aunt and cousins there; she had forgotten it was her aunts birthday and her mother had invited them over to celebrate. Of course, it was going to be her parents and relatives just talking, adults didn't know how to have any fun. She decided a day at the mall would be perfect, she still had to go get her aunt a present.

Darien arrived at the mall and decided he needed coffee. His only self proclaimed flaw was that he was addicted to it. He was in the mood to celebrate, so instead of his usual black coffee, he ordered a caramel latte. He then made his way towards the bookstore, passing by a frozen yogurt place.

_Serena?_

He thought he recognized her hairstyle, but he couldn't tell since the girl disappeared behind other customers. He wanted to see if it was Serena, but he also did not want to interrupt her. She was probably with her friends. He decided to leave, but as he was turning the corner, he saw her walk out. With a guy who looked a little older than her. He was stunned. Was she on a date?

Now that his curiosity was getting the better of him, he could not help but spy on them. He made sure they didn't see him, keeping a good distance between them. However, and unfortunately, he could see them perfectly. His heart almost stopped when he saw Serena steal some of the guys' yogurt, she laughed at the face her date was making. Yes, they were definitely on a date. He could bear no more of this and turned away.

He wasn't in the mood to pick up his book, but he had promised on of his classmates he'd let him see it as well. He made his way towards the book store and then towards his parking space. On his way there, he saw Serena getting into that guy's car. Darien wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn't. He wanted to be sad, but there was nothing. He could not feel anything, and this scared him. Had the Meatball Head stolen his heart just to break it?

* * *

When Serena had decided to leave her house, she yelled at her mom as she left the house, "I'm off to the mall, be back later, and I promise I won't be late!" She took two steps out the door when she was ambushed in a bear hug.

"There's my favorite cousin!"

"Ken! I didn't know you were here! I thought Aunt Irene had only come with your younger siblings"

"I wouldn't miss the chance to see my 'little sis' now would I? It's been at least two years since I last saw you! You've grown so much"

"You too, pretty soon you'll be married I won't ever see you". They laughed as they unconsciously made their way towards his car. Her cousin was 16 and had just gotten his license and car.

"Was this your birthday present?"

Ken beamed. His black Land Rover was his pride and joy. "Yep. I just gotta keep my grades up while managing football."

"And I'm sure the girls just flock to you even more..?" She laughed. Her cousin was handsome, but he was the type that didn't care for dating. He claimed to want to meet the right girl, and apparently, the squealing girls that vied for his attention were just a nuisance. Serena liked to tease him though, but the teasing was mutual.

"Says the great and mighty Serena. I bet you probably reject a different guy every day!" He laughed and climbed into the drivers seat.

"Where ya going Ken?"

"Mall. I'm in the mood for some fro-yo. Care to join?"

"As long as you're buying!"

They had a pleasant day at the mall. They managed to find Serena's aunt a birthday present, and they got stopped by a guy selling flowers.

"A flower for your pretty lady?"

Ken couldn't help but snort. "She's not pretty enough to deserve a flower but here ya go". Ken tossed him a few coins. The man looked at them strangely as they both walked off, laughing their heads off. They realized the man thought they were a couple but they were as close as a brother and sister, they had grown up together.

Back at the Tsukino household, the 'party', as Serena had put it, was rather bland. The adults were all talking business, her father and Ken's were on the verge of expanding their media company, and if prospects were good, they would soon be well off. Serena didn't care for business, and though Ken knew he wanted to take over the family company someday, he was still young enough to want to sneak off.

"Care to join me as I go for a joy ride?"

Serena contemplated leaving. She had been trying to show she was a responsible person, but if she left now, maybe her parents would be bothered?

"Go on honey, this party is hardly a place for you two, just don't come back too late. I'm trusting you Kenneth" Mrs. Tsukino had seen the boredom etched on her daughter and secretly wished the party was livelier, but she wasn't a teen and couldn't sneak off. She remembered being 16 and sneaking off after curfew and laughed. _Oh to be young again_.

As they were cruising around, Ken realized he hadn't eaten. It was still early and Serena remembered the Crown didn't close till 10 on Saturdays. They still had time for a shake and for Ken's food.

"Let's go to the Crown! You know, the place where I fell and knocked my milkshake into that girls lap. That was hilarious"

Ken remembered and soon they were walking towards the door. The chimes sounded and Andrew looked up, & seeing his favorite customer called her over.

"Andy!" Serena practically jumped into his arms. Andrew laughed and put her down, as he heard someone cough.

"Sere, is that..?" Ken was looking at Andrew, as if he remembered him.

"Yeah, that's him alright Ken" Serena wondered when Andrew would remember Ken.

Andrew still looked dumbfounded.

"Andy, you remember Ken?"

"Ken…? Oh Ken!"

"About time! How are you? Been a while since I last saw you?"

"I'm good, started working at the Crown around the time you moved, you know, family business and what not" The two laughed, they both knew they would take the reigns of their family companies and were glad to see each other after so long. Ken had lived in the neighborhood till about two years ago, when his father's company grew. They had to relocate and he hadn't been back since then.

When Serena was smiling at the sight of her two loved ones reconnecting, she realized the Crown wasn't empty. She saw what looked like a lump, a lump with an olive green blazer that she recognized and was about to call out to him when she heard someone call her name.

"Serena?"

Serena turned around and saw Mina, the girl she had just met the day before. She grabbed her hand and led her to where Andrew and Ken were.

"You guys, this is Mina, she's new in town and she's my new friend. Mina, this is Andrew and Ken."

Mina beamed. Her dazzling smile did not go unnoticed by Ken, and Serena saw how they stole glances at each other. She knew it was rare for Ken to even look at a girl twice, so she had to do something about this.

"Hey Mina, what school are you going to be attending?"

"Oh um well I was going to start the 9th grade in England, but I guess my transcripts or something went wrong. They're placing me at the 8th grade level since I didn't test out of the math requirements for 9th grade." She gave them a shy smile, " of course, they tested me in my weakest subject, History and Art are my favorites. I'm starting after this weekend is over, except I don't know anyone from around here. I don't mind moving, we've moved before, but at least I knew people when I changed schools. I admit I'm a little nervous."

"Are you by chance going to be attending Juuban Middle?"

"Yes! That's where I'm going. Is that where you're attending?"

"Oh this is great, I'll introduce you to the gang, oh they'll love you!"

Ken and Andrew watched fascinated, for different reasons. Ken was still under her spell, and Andrew was still impressed that Serena could make friends with everyone, there was hardly a stranger who wouldn't fall for her charm.

Andrew's shift was over and he joined them for a late dinner. The group was so into their conversation they didn't notice a glum looking Darien leave out the back.

AN: _Just a thank you for the reviews! Definitely makes my day :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hope you guys like the chapter! I would appreciate feedback/thoughts or questions :)_

Since the Crown had to close, Andrew, Mina, Serena and Ken started heading home. Serena's communicator went off and she was able to hear that there was a Youma a few blocks away. Ken heard the noise and asked what it was but she was able to avoid his questions. She had bigger problems. How was she to convince her over protective cousin to let her walk home so she could go join the fight?

"Hey Ken, I'm going to catch up to Andrew, I left my wallet inside"

"Just get it tomorrow Sere, it's pretty late"

Before he could argue with her, she dashed off. Finding a safe spot , she began her transformation.

"Moon Prism Power!"

She was engulfed in the beautiful array of colors that indicated the emergence of the soldier of love and justice. However, she did not expect to have an audience.

"Sere?"

_Oh no.. Oh god I did not need a witness_. Serena was not ready to face Ken, she had a  
fight to get to. He seemed to understand this, she heard him call out that he'd wait there for her.

Tuxedo Mask had actually been the first to get to the fight. Darien had been walking aimlessly when he stumbled upon the youma attack. Since he had no way to signal the scouts that there was an enemy, he had to face it alone. He knew he could not do much, but he could hold off the monster till the scouts got there. It was at least ten minutes until he heard the footsteps of someone else.

Sailor Moon had just arrived, but he only caught the last words she spoke. She had seen Tuxedo Mask dodging and she saw he looked tired. The youma was wearing him out so she called it out to get it away from him.

The youma, who resembled a cross between a lamp and a woman, was now running towards Sailor Moon.

_Oh man, what should I do now? It doesn't look weak enough to take out with my tiara. I wish the girls were here._.

"Mars fire, ignite!"

"Sailor Mars! Am I glad to see you!"

"Sailor Moon, dust it now, before it gets back up again."

"Kay."  
"Moon tiara action!"

With the youma defeated, Tuxedo Mask left. Sailor Mars realized Moon had been alone in the fight and went on a rant.

"Where was Jupiter and Mercury? Didn't they get a call?"

"I'm not sure, when I got here, Tuxedo Mask had already been keeping the youma away from the people, and then you came. I thought they were with you but I see they aren't"

Mars was pretty mad. Her date had been over so she had rushed to the fight as soon as possible. But she had been in the middle of a bath so the youma only made her frustrated. It had interrupted her only time left to relax. She wasn't mad at Moon; for once, she was being responsible. However, where were Jupiter and Mercury? They had no justification.

Sailor Moon remembered she had someone waiting for her.

"Gotta go Mars! Can't stay out too late, you should head home too"

"Yeah, good job Moon". With that Mars dashed off, and Moon smiled, her friend was hardly one to compliment her job as a scout. Maybe her hard work was really starting to pay off. She leaped off, headed back towards Ken.

Another scout had been watching the fight, and she too headed off once everyone was gone. She had seen the fight and was disappointed her scouts weren't fighting as a team.

Meanwhile, Ken was waiting for Serena besides his car, and he led her inside once she got there.

"There's so much I want to ask you, but I think I'll wait till tomorrow. We can get lunch somewhere and then talk about this. I can't keep you out any longer or both our parents will have a fit."

"Okay, sounds good."

They rode in silence till they got home. Their parents still had a few friends over, so they both left to their rooms and soon fell asleep. It had been a long day.

* * *

Serena and Ken were out pretty early, for Serena's standards. She had been awake before 9am, Ken had woken her up because he wanted to go a new brunch place his dad had recommended. He knew Serena would take forever, and so they were out the house before 11.

"Why do you take so long getting ready? Do women do this just to torture us?"

"You're so funny Ken." Serena laughed at him. He made a face.  
"You'll never get a girl with those rude comments"

Ken pulled her hair. Sometimes she could get too cocky. Serena was used to the occasional 'fight' with Ken, so she stepped on his foot. They never kept it up, it was always an unspoken rule the other person could get even and that was it. They were best cousins, but they definitely got on each other's last nerves sometimes.

"So what's the place called?"

"It's a quaint brunch place. Dad's paying. Apparently it's his favorite place to eat when he's in Tokyo. It's called Luna Palatium".

Serena wrinkled her nose. "Well as long as they have good food that's all that matters"

At the café, they had a reserved place. Apparently, Ken's dad was a loyal customer. They even did catering for him. They were able to talk quietly, and Serena was able to tell Ken about her first day as a scout, and meeting Luna.

"She can talk? Wow. That's the icing on the cake."

"Yeah, just wait till she knows about you. You won't be able to get her to shut up."

Ken sweatdropped. Luna was known to have a temper, and if she could talk, yikes.

Serena continued to tell him about how she meet the scouts. She didn't tell him their civilian identities, because she felt it was up to them to decide who knew about their alter ego's.

"So you work with the scouts huh? And you're the leader?"

"Well yeah."

Ken seemed to be in full thought. He sipped his tea and then his face was that on enlightenment. "Who woulda thought quiet little Amy would be a scout?"

"WHAT?!"

"Well it's pretty obvious. You four are inseparable, who else could it be?"

"Was it that easy to figure out? Oh, what if everyone knows?"

"Calm down Sere, it's not obvious. Actually, before I knew who you were, I didn't recognize you at all. But now, it's like a veil has been lifted. The same for the girls. I actually tried to think who else you were close to, and I couldn't see Molly as a scout. Then I thought, hey Ami had just transferred to your school, and when I thought she looked a little like Sailor Mercury, I kept thinking about it, and then when you told me about them today, it just clicked. I guess you guys aren't recognized by others, but since I knew you were Moon, I had a connection to who the rest might be. Don't be scared though, I'm sure no one else has noticed."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, and if they find out, I'll keep them quiet" He winked at her. She laughed at his antics. He would do anything to cheer her up.

"Well I also wanted to talk to you about something that I haven't told anyone else."

"What's wrong Ken?"

"How about we got to the park? I don't think I can take another bite."

"Okay lemme just finish this last piece of cake"

* * *

At the park, they found a bench that was pretty secluded. Ken looked anxious, and a little scared. Serena pinched his cheek.

"Hey!" Ken flicked his finger on her forehead.

"Okay we're even, but that was to snap you out of that trance"

"Yeah, well I just trying to see how I would start this. Like I said, I haven't told anyone, and you're not making this any easier Sere"

"Sorry. Go on."

"Well, it has to do with what you said. You guys are looking for a princess right?"

"Yeah"

"Well ever since I was around 15, I've had these dreams, they would happen maybe once a month, or twice at the most. But then a few months ago, I started getting them like once a week, and I don't know what to do anymore. I thought it was some weird anxiety thing, but now that I know about your mission, my dreams seem probable."

"Is it about the princess?"

"Well no. It's actually a prince."

"A prince?"

"Yeah, I'm in some sort of palace, and everything is so blurry. But then I hear a voice, and they aren't calling me Ken, but another name. I can't remember the name, but it's definitely not Ken. So in the dream, the voice calls to me, and he sounds like a friend, and I want to go but as soon as I do, the voice disappears. Then all I see is a shadow of a man, and he says "Remember your duties to the prince. Remember me.."

"You're not kidding huh?"

"No, I'm quite serious. Like I said, I didn't think too much of it, but now, well I don't know what to think. I'm so confused"

"I know, we can ask Luna! Maybe she can help. She says she remembers being the royal advisor to the princess, maybe she can give us a clue to what your dreams mean"

"Thanks Sere." Ken was proud of her. She was clever, and many of her attributes were overlooked due to her clumsiness. But he laughed, he still couldn't believe his baby cousin was Sailor Moon, the champion of love and justice.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, just forget it"

"Let's go get milkshakes then."

"But we just ate!"

"That was hours ago, time for a snack." Serena dragged him all the way to the Crown. She needed a milkshake everyday, and the brunch they had ate about an hour ago had been a milkshake free meal.


	8. Chapter 8

At the Crown, Ken and Serena were waiting for Andrew to get in to work. Serena was drinking a milkshake while Ken watched her, somewhat confused but impressed that someone so small could eat so much. Where did she put it all?

"Oh look, there's Andrew. Be right back!"

Ken decided he'd let them have a moment, he was still tired from keeping up with Serena. She had an infinite amount of energy, and he was not used to running around everywhere. They had stopped by at least 5 stores on their way to the Crown because Serena 'had' to see the newest manga, or the newest plush doll. He closed his eyes and decided a ten minute breather would be wonderful.

"Hey! There's my favorite customer, What are you doing up before noon on a weekend?"

"Haha, don't start Andrew, I have enough with one tormentor. Speaking of which, where is he? I haven't seen him. I usually run into him at least twice a day"

Andrew jumped at the chance to interrogate Serena about his best friend. You had to be blind to not see they were in love with each other.

"Darien? Hmm. I think he had a paper to write? Maybe you can ask the guys if you wanna know. I think they had a sleepover the other day and he might still be recovering."

"A sleepover? I can't picture Darien at one of those."

"Yeah, well the guys at school have been worming their way into his life the past couple months. They're doing a good job too. I think Zayn said they watched a game and ate like 12 pizzas"

"And they didn't share?!" Serena regretted saying that last part out loud. What was Andrew going to think?

"Well next time they have a sleepover ,I'll be sure to tell them to invite you. Wait. No. scratch that. The next time they have a sleepover I want you safe at home."

Serena eyed him curiously. She was going to ask him to explain his self but was interrupted before she got the chance.

"Where's Ken? You two have been inseperable since he got here"

"Oh I think I tired him out. Seems like the only one who candle my high energy levels is Darien" She blushed. Oh why was she telling Andrew any of this?

"You know Sere, I think Darien might be the only person in the world who would put up with you" Andrew winked at her. She blushed more, and Andrew tugged her hair.

"Andrew, whatever you are insinuating, no. Just no. Me and Darien? Ha!"

"Sere, I know you two better than I know myself. I see the way you look at him when he turns around, or the way your smile is so much brighter when you're around him. You're actually lucky that he's my best friend, I wouldn't let anyone unworthy near you."

"Gee thanks. It's bad enough with Papa, and now you. Even Ken says he's got to approve of whoever I date. I need more sisters and less brothers"

Andrew laughed, "Well it's true. I have this like sudden need to protect you, I can't explain it. Maybe because we grew up together? I'm not sure. But you're definitely my sister, even if we don't share the same blood."

"Awwh Andy!" she engulfed him him in a hug. They really were brother and sister, and Serena hoped that no matter what life put them through he'd always be there for her, because she'd do the same for him.

"Ahem. If I may interrupt?" Ken coughed a little too loudly and Serena laughed. Ken was still not entirely convinced that Andrew was just her brother, but he was skeptical of everyone.

"What's up Ken?"

"Well I was starting to snooze off. You left and I was bored. I don't really know anyone else here"

"Oh well I was just finishing my lovely chat with Andy. Hey! I have a great idea!"

She was interrupted by the chiming bells above the entrance doors. Someone had just walked in and Serena looked up, making eye contact with the person she was secretly missing.

"Darien!"

"Who's Darien?"

"Oh you'll love him, lemme call him over"

Andrew wanted to laugh. It was true. Ken was more overprotective than him. He had flinched a bit when Serena had said 'love'.

"Calm down man. He's my best friend. He didn't go to school with us back when you were here, but he's a great guy."

Serena approached Darien and put on her best smile.

"Hey Darien. What's up?"

"Oh Hey."

"What? No Meatball Head?"

"Meatball Head, I'm not really in the mood for your squealing right now"

"Awh, tired? Well I'm not even as loud as I usually am. I actually came over here because I really want you to meet someone."

Darien had tried to push her away, he was even willing to go back to when he insulted her. He figured she'd leave if he was being rude but he just could not say anything mean to her anymore. He was in love with her, and she had some one else. Some else that she wanted him to meet! There was no way he would meet the guy who had left him without his lovely Odango.

"Darien? Hello? You're really spacey today." She poked his chest and his head snapped up.

"What did you say Meatball Head?"

"Are you even listening to me? I said I have someone really important for you to meet!"

Darien groaned. "Serena I don't want to meet anyone." He decided if he was firm about it, she'd let him go.

"Please? Do it for your Meatball Head? Please Dare-Bear?" She did the pout that he could not resist. Well who was he kidding? He'd do whatever she wanted, and whatever she asked of him would be done immediately. He got up and started following her.

"Oh he's great. He doesn't really have any friends here, so I figured you and Andrew could be his friends. You guys are my close friends so I figured he should meet you as well."

"Meatball head.."

"No, You'll love him as much as I do. I can guarantee it."

They were standing before Ken and Andrew. Serena had been dragging Darien so they were holding hands, and Ken did not miss this. He stood up from his place at the counter and eyed Darien, waiting for him to speak.

Darien saw that Ken stood up, so he straightened himself. This guy looked a little too old for his Meatball Head. He waited to be introduced, and realized the guy had scowled a bit when he saw Serena was holding onto him. Darien smirked. He didn't let go of her hand, and tugged on it.

"Meatball Head?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. Ken, this is my friend Darien. Darien, this is Ken, my.."  
Darien wanted to close his eyes but knew he had to tough it out. He was anticipating and dreading the words to come out of her mouth: 'my boyfriend' thinking '_Why was she flirting with me when she had a boyfriend_?' but when he realized he had missed it, he simply stared blankly at her.

"Ken, my cousin. Dare-Bear, you need to clean your ears." She laughed, and he smiled. He wanted to smack himself. He had been going crazy over nothing.

Andrew and Ken were just watching them, it seemed like they were in their own little world. Ken, who didn't know Darien or his intentions with his Sere took it upon himself to size him up.

He extended his hand, "Ken. Nice to meet you."  
Darien knew this was a challenge. He recomposed himself, and took Ken's hand.  
"Darien. Same here."

Andrew gulped, he knew this was one of those stereotypical macho-man showdowns. They both had too much testosterone. Serena was oblivious to the little showdown going on, and she left. She wanted them to be friends, and decided to head towards the new racing game.

"So you know Andrew and Sere?"

"Yeah, Andrew goes to the same high school as I do, and well I met through Rena through Andrew."

Ken heard his nickname for Serena. He realized he was being silly, but this guy was giving him weird vibes. He felt like he knew him, but that was impossible. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

Darien was also having the same feelings. Since he thought Ken was Serena's boyfriend, he was incredibly relieved to find out they were family. He decided to let his guard down around Ken, but he still felt an odd sense of familiarity towards Ken.

Andrew just wanted to break the tension, so he addressed both of them.  
"Any body want something to eat or..?"

"Black coffee."  
"Black coffee."

They both looked at each other and smirked. Maybe they would be friends. They were starting off okay.

* * *

A while later, Serena was back for another milkshake. Racing games were both exhilarating and exhausting, and she was done for the day.

"Milkshake please"

"Here ya go. All tired out already?"

"Yeah, Ken made me get up early this morning, so I'm little tired. Are you working all day Andy?"

"Hmm. I think I've got another two hours or so. I have homework to get back to though, so I won't be going anywhere fun. What are you doing with the rest your day?"

"I'm not sure. I was going to hang out with the girls but they're all MIA. There's always Kenny but he looks busy."

Both Serena and Andrew looked to where Darien and Ken were sitting. Apparently, both had big college plans and had been discussing their high school careers and their plans of attending K.O. University. They looked like they were talking about boring stuff so Serena and Andrew let them be. Andrew went back to work and Serena stayed at the counter finishing her shake.

After what seemed like forever, she got up and joined them. She had only been sitting there for five minutes and she just wasn't the type of person to sit still for that long.

The guys did not even notice her join their booth, and Serena took a seat next to Darien. She was not sure, but lately her feelings for him had been something she would act upon. Instead of screaming at him, she wanted to talk to him, she knew she was falling for the jerk and she only hoped this crazy love ordeal was mutual. She would be devastated if the only guy that she had actual feelings for had someone else. She knew he was a high school student, but a three year difference wasn't so bad. Next year, they might even be at the same high school. If she was able to get good grades.

They realized Serena had joined them and stared at her. She seemed lost in her thoughts.

"Meatball Head? Don't think so hard, you'll get a headache!"

"Meatball Head?"

"Oh, um, well you know, cause her hair looks like meatballs." Darien tried explaining and felt like this was not going good. He had been enjoying Ken's company, they both had lots in common.

"Darien please explain to Ken why you keep calling me that. I still don't understand, but maybe Ken might get it." She winked at Ken and he wanted to laugh. Oh this was going to be fun, messing with Darien.

"Darien, why do you call Sere Meatball head? I mean, I see her hair is round, but I quite frankly don't see the reference."

"Well, you see, it just kinda stuck. I'm not really sure. That is, I mean, I can't really explain." Darien realized Ken actually was very protective of Serena and he probably would not get away with calling her Meatball head anymore. And he really liked that name.

"Also, if you don't mind, earlier, you called Sere 'Rena". Are you two dating or why do you have such nicknames for each other? I also heard you call Darien Dare-Bear, Sere. Care to explain?"

Ken tried to hide the grin that was slowly consuming his face. He had seen the looks the two had given each other, and now he just wanted to embarrass them. He seemed to think Darien was a good guy, and for now, he was okay. Maybe he'd even let him date Serena.

Darien started thinking, and thought back to what Ken said. It was true though, Serena had started calling him Dare-Bear and it did not carry the mockery like when Zayn or Jason called him that. When Serena called him Dare-Bear, it was like she was calling him darling. He could get used to that.

Serena was realizing the same things. Everyone called her Sere, after they got to know her. She liked the term of endearment, and then Darien's form was a bit more personal. Nobody else called her Rena, even though others had heard Darien call her that. It was like a name that was reserved for him. She liked that, they both seemed to have special names for the other.

Ken got up during their little thought process. He could tell the two were beginning to put two and two together, and he seriously could not keep in his laugh. He had meet the guy a few hours ago, and he could already tell he had the biggest crush on Serena.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: So I've reached the point where the writing I did during my winter Break is exhausted. I will probably only have time for writing on the weekends, so that's when I'll update. Thanks for your patience and here's the next chapter! Reviews are always appreciated!

Their moment of embarrassment was interrupted by a youma. Serena's communicator went off and she ran to find Ken to tell him she was leaving. Darien was puzzled_. Was she going to avoid him now?_

Ken seemed to sense Darien's doubt, and he wanted to clarify things for him. Being rejected without even trying was brutal.

"She said she forgot Aunt Ikuku had asked her to do some errands so she's going to go finish them, but she might be back later."

Darien realized he was being really obvious. Usually he was so collected, he had been slowly letting his guard down especially around Serena. It was a minute later he felt the tug that meant Sailor Moon needed his help. Luckily, Ken had just left, so he ran off towards the alley behind the Crown. He didn't see anyone around, and transformed.

Seconds later, he heard a thump. He saw Andrew fall to the ground, along with the trash he had been carrying. He had witnessed his transformation and fainted!

Darien knew there were more important things to worry about first, so he moved Andrew and leaned him against the wall. He left a rose next to him, in hopes that Andrew would understand that they would talk later.

The youma, which looked like a spider and a mosquito was busy throwing goo everywhere. Sailor Moon dodged a few attacks, realizing that the stuff was sticky, trapping people once they stepped on it.

She dodged a few attacks, hoping for the girls to come. Where were they? They had not shown up to the last battle, and here she was now, in desperate need of their help. She couldn't defeat the youma with just her tiara, it needed to be weakened.

"Sailor Moon, look out!"

She swung around and saw the youma had jumped over her and was now behind her. She leaped out of its way, panicking because she didn't know what to do to get it to stop. There were people stuck in the goo, losing their energy every second.

She saw a few roses attack the youma, and knew her hero was there. She didn't know where he was, but she was grateful she wasn't facing the youma alone anymore. The youma seemed to sense him, and headed towards where the roses were coming from.

Tuxedo Mask could not have seen this coming. The youma let out a web and within five seconds, he was covered in a white adhesive string. It was laced with some sort of chemical because after struggling with it, he fell unconscious.

"Tuxedo Mask!"

The youma heard Sailor Moon scream and headed for her. She was in shock, Her scouts were not there, and now even Tuxedo Mask was out. She didn't know what to do, other than keep dodging the youma's attacks. She was tired out though, and knew she couldn't keep it up much longer.

She took a step backwards and fell. What a great time for a klutz attack!

"Sailor Moon!"

She heard a masculine voice call out, but couldn't make out who it was. Within seconds, she was being carried in his arms and placed a safe distance away from the youma.

Her knight, which he strongly resembled, was a man with Winters grey hair. It flowed past his shoulders, and over his face was a mask that resembled Tuxedo Mask's own version. He looked tall and proud, but his face showed signs of concern.

_Do I know him? He seems familiar..._

"I'll see what I can do and then you can finish it up. Be alert Sailor Moon!"

He leaped towards the youma, and Sailor Moon realized she had to finish this off. There were innocent people all over the street that had collapsed from having their energy sucked. She saw the man fight off the youma with a sword, but it wasn't enough. He sensed the youma was still strong and from his hands, an orange glow of light, like a laser shot out. The youma was immediately stunned and Sailor Moon knew it was her turn.

"Moon Tiara Magic!"

With a final shriek, the youma disappeared, and so did its goo. Tuxedo Mask was left lying on the ground unconscious and Sailor Moon ran to his aid.

"Are you okay Tuxedo Mask?"

He groggily responded and sat up. He saw Sailor Moon standing next another masked hero. Wait. What?

"I'm okay Sailor Moon." He looked at the man and addressed him, "and who is the masked man?"

"Kunzite. A friend of Sailor Moon's."

Tuxedo Mask did not know how to respond. Did she have other masked heroes apart from him?

"Sailor Moon let's go, we need to have a talk"

"Okay, Bye tuxedo Mask."

They took off and left behind a dumbfounded Tuxedo Mask. He looked around and realized he too should be off. He had so many questions though, like who exactly was Kunzite? And why did he leave with Sailor Moon? He'd wanted to talk to her so many times after a battle, but he'd never mustered the courage to do so. And now this guy appears and does exactly that. What was going on?

* * *

"Kunzite?"

"Sailor Moon, trust me. I'm your friend. Let's head home and then we'll talk. Follow me, there's a place where we can detransform safely.

She knew it was risky but she trusted him. She realized she must know him if she had no urge to run away, he was definitely not an enemy. Maybe it was Andrew?!

She began to destransform and so did Kunzite. In a flash, they were both back to their civilian selves. Standing before her was Ken! Serena gasped and could not contain the shriek that exploded from her mouth.

"KEN!"

"Calm down Sere, you've got to be quiet, your screams pierced through my ears"

"Okay, I'll try. But you expect me to stay quiet when I just found out your secret identity? How long have you been transforming? Why didn't you tell me before? Did you not trust me?"

Serena's voice was meek now. She began to over think the situation and was ready to hear from Ken that he did not trust her with his secret. However, he grabbed her and hugged her, comforting her.

"Sere it's not like that. This was my first time."

She nearly fell when he said that. By now they were a few blocks away from home. They took another lap around the park and sat on a bench. It was still fairly early in the evening, so they still had time to talk.

"Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"How? I mean, did Luna put you up to this?"

Ken smiled. "No, though I'm sure she's going to want a full report. Remember you left the arcade in a rush? Well I decided to follow you, I mean, I've always had this urge to protect you, and since I knew you were Sailor Moon, I was more determined than ever to make sure you didn't get harmed in the battle. So I left Darien and ran towards where the chaos was coming from, and I just watched the battle. I was getting so anxious, I couldn't do anything to help you, and when tuxedo Mask got there, I was so relieved. Except the youma had other plans and well something just sparked inside of me."

"Did you get a transformation phrase? You know, how I have to say 'Moon Prism Power' while grasping my brooch?"

"Well no. But when I saw the youma ready to hurt you, I just couldn't take it. The shadow of that prince appeared in my mind and my forehead burned for a split second and then I was Kunzite. I think the prince gave me the power."

"I wonder who he is? Could our princess have had a brother?"

"I'm not sure Sere, but they should really come out of hiding. I'd like to meet them and ask why they have you fighting for them. You're so young, you could get hurt!"  
"Well I'm not a baby. And I'm the only one who can beat those Nega-creeps." Serena crossed her arms in triumph, rising from the bench and slowly walking away.

"Wait for me Meatball head"

"You can't call me that! I get enough out of Darien, I don't need you to be encouraging him"

"Okay okay."

"Kay. Glad that's settled."

"So you and Dare? What's up with you two?"

"KENNETTH SCOTT WILLIAMS, IF YOU DON'T STOP BOTHERING ME YOU'RE GOING TO BE MOON DUST BUDDY"

Ken raced off towards her house. He was saddened when he realized he would only be here for a few more days, and decide he'd make the most it. Serena trailed after him, chasing him till they were both exhausted and embarrassed when they realized they had ran through town like that. Well, they were best cousins for a reason.

* * *

After the battle, Darien returned back to the Crown. It was fairly empty, so he sat down at the counter. He knew Andrew had to be here somewhere, he had checked the alley and it was empty.

"Black coffee?"

Darien looked up and received a cup of coffee from his best friend. He hoped this wouldn't change anything between them, he didn't want their friendship to be awkward or to end.

Andrew, being himself, smiled at his friend and Darien realized he was foolish to doubt. They were practically brothers after all.

"It explains why you have an obsession with roses."

"Huh?"

"You know. Your other self? Come on Dare. Actually that's great because I was starting to think you might not be interested in girls, and the fact that you liked roses wasn't helping your case. It makes sense though, and I was thinking, maybe that's why he doesn't date? But I guess if you've got Sailor Moon, who happens to be my favorite of the scouts, then I probably wouldn't look at the girls at our school either." Andrew winked at him, and Darien rolled his eyes.

Of course Andrew would make light of the situation, but that was great. He didn't want there to be some sort of tension or shift in their usual interactions. They would be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

_AN: Sorry for the long wait! It's midterms week and I'm swamped with work, but I'll keep updating, and reviews are appreciated! Special thanks to Loveinthebattlefield & Artemis the Moon Maiden for consistently reviewing 3_

* * *

Serena woke up the next day just in time for school. Luna was at Amy's since there she could investigate more and talk freely because Amy's mom was usually at the hospital. She was out the door and walking to school even before Sammy!

School started off rather uneventful. It was funny to see Haruna's reactions to her improved attitude. She did not fall asleep in class and even raised her hand to answer a few questions.

She had lunch with the girls who kept apologizing, and Lita even brought Serena cake.  
Of course she wanted to know where they had been, but she couldn't stay mad at them, everything had turned out fine and that had been the last thing on her mind. She was trying to think of a way to let them know about Ken/Kunzite. Actually, she wasn't sure if Ken wanted them to know.

"We'll tell you everything after school, at our usual place. I don't think we can discuss scout business here" Amy gave her a weak smile, and Serena whole-heartedly returned it. She didn't want them to think she was mad.

"Yeah, I still feel awful. Let's meet Rei after school. I'll tell her to meet us there since she gets out earlier than us"

"Okay Leets. Tell her to order my usual cause I'm starving!" Serena's stomach growled at that moment and the three of them laughed. The bell signaling lunch was over rang and they began to head back to class.

"SERENA!"

They all turned around to see who was yelling out to Serena. Serena instantly recognized her.

"Mina!"

They ran towards each other and hugged. Amy and Lita gave each other confused looks because they had never seen this girl before, but she looked sorta like Serena. Minus the meatballs.

"What class are you in? How was your first day?" Serena began to bombard Mina with other questions and they began talking. Amy remembered they had to get back to class and called out for Serena.

"Serena, we're going to be late!"

"Oh! Sorry Ames! I totally forgot." She asked Mina where her class was and coincidentally, they had the same class.

"I would have been there sooner but I had other paperwork and all that to finalize, but I'm officially in your class"

They all walked towards class and sat down, except Mina, who had to talk to Haruna.

Haruna was also thrown off by the resemblance to Serena and told her to sit wherever she liked, and Mina sat next to Lita who had an open seat next to her.

"Okay class, let's begin today's math lesson with a pop quiz"

Mina looked over at Serena and they both shared a look that said _'I'm going to die_' and laughed to themselves. Haruna heard them and looked between each other wondering to herself how she got stuck with these two girls. She knew they would be trouble together.

* * *

After the math test fiasco, they only had science to go. The rest of the day went by pretty quickly, and Serena remembered to keep her behavior under control, she did not want to get detention.

The bell went off and school was over. Serena did not want to isolate Mina, but she knew they had scout business to take care of as well. She decided she would tell her they had a previous commitment and that would only be a small lie.

All four girls began to walk out of class together and began to talk about how Serena and Mina had met previously. They were all getting along great and they seemed to fit together, like sisters.

"Oh I almost forgot! I'm so sorry but I have to go! My parents still need help back home and then we're going out for dinner. Our house is still a mess from the move. I haven't even finished unpacking, but then again I do have lots of clothes. And I need to feed Artemis! I forgot to give him breakfast…" Mina chuckled softly, and the girls sensed that poor Artemis was probably forgotten about sometimes.

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then!"

"Bye everyone!"

Mina was off in the opposite direction and then Serena and the girls continued walking towards the Crown, they didn't want to keep Rei waiting.

"Let's hurry! I need a milkshake!" Serena raced off and Lita and Amy had to chase after her, but they got to the Crown in no time.

They walked in and saw Rei sitting at their usual booth, with drinks ordered. They all sat down and talked about school because Andrew's sister Lizzie was cleaning the table next to them. They were finally able to talk about their scout business and Rei was the first to speak.

"At the last battle, we were absent because we were at the shrine. I've been getting weird fire readings and Amy and Lita were curious. I was going to tell you, but I knew you were spending the day with Ken, and since he's only here for a bit I didn't want to steal you away. But I'm really sorry that we missed the fight. Are you mad Sere?"

Serena looked at Rei and saw genuine concern over whether or not she was mad at them. She started laughing. Amy, Lita and Rei looked at her like she was crazy.

"You guys are too serious. Being mad at you didn't even cross my mind. I wasn't hurt, but next time be there, getting chased around by youmas is not my favorite sport."

They all looked at her with smiles, but Rei wasn't done.

"That being said, where were Mercury and Jupiter during the fight from before? I showed up and only Moon was there." She looked at Amy and Lita, fully expecting an explanation. Though Rei teased Serena, she was always concerned for her, they were the closest. Having seen her trying to stop the youma alone made her annoyed, because they were a team and no one should have to face those things alone.

Amy and Lita did not have a valid enough excuse though.

"Well we were still out with Zayn and Nick, and we couldn't leave them. We were in the middle of a movie and tried to think of something, but other than ditching them, there was just no getting out of there without compromising our identities" Amy seemed to have thought this over well enough.

Rei saw that Serena accepted this answer, but she still huffed silently. As scouts, they had to be more alert. They were lucky no one had been severely injured so far.

"As long as it doesn't happen again. We can't leave Meatball brains all by herself". She tugged on Serena's hair, and a tongue war ensued. Rei just wanted to lighten the mood, she had other news to tell them after all.

Amy interrupted them, "Guys, we still need to discuss the fire readings"

"What have you seen pyro?"

"Well at first it was just visions of a palace, and it was empty, like it had been deserted. But the more I concentrate, and the longer I stay reading the fire, the more clear the visions become. They're all still blurry but I can make out shapes of people. The most clear one is one of us four, but there's also a 5th person. I think it might be the princess, since we're her guard. The only feature I can see is that she has a crescent birthmark on her forehead, but I guess that doesn't really help us, since we know she's the moon princess."

Rei seemed to be alleviated at telling them this, it had been draining on her powers to keep up the fire readings.

"So there aren't any more clues?"

"No, but the thing is, I don't think I can do any readings for a while. The sacred flame hardly ever tires me out, but when it has to do with the princess it's like I can't find the answers I want. I don't know what to make of it, because even if the answers are vague, the fire responds to me, except when it comes to this."

They all could tell Rei was tired, and they did not want to force her into another reading. They couldn't really come up with anything else and they left for their homes.

Before leaving, Serena stopped at the counter and saw Andrew was also getting ready to leave.

"Hey Andy have you seen Ken?"

"Hmmm. No. I don't think so. I thought he had gone back home since I didn't see him with you."

"Oh, well I think hes going back home tonight so he might be busy. I'm going to miss him. He's like my best guy friend"

"Hey what about me?"

"Well you too"

They both laughed and soon Serena was off towards her home, she didn't want to miss Ken leaving.

* * *

On her way home, she stopped by the park. She hadn't seen Darien all day, and he was never one to skip the Crown. He was too addicted to coffee.

She walked along, kicking a rock and sighing, it was almost time to head home before Ken left. She supposed maybe he was extra busy and there was always tomorrow.

She walked slowly home, secretly hoping that maybe, just maybe, they'd run into each other in the street. She reached her house though, and luckily Ken's car was still there. She walked in and was surprised to see the living room empty. However, she then heard Ken's laughter coming from the kitchen and she made her way there.

"Keeeeeen. What are you doing?"

Serena asked and began to take her hair out of its meatballs, it was tiring after a long day.

She didn't notice that Ken had brought a friend over and this friend was in for a treat.

"Serena?"

She heard the voice of the one she had been waiting to see all day, and here he was, sitting in her kitchen! She wondered why he looked mesmerized, and then she realized he had never seen her without her meatballs. She only took her hair down to sleep or at home, and certainly not around Darien.

Darien was fighting to get up and stroke her hair, it was the most angelic sight he had ever seen. He knew Serena was beautiful, but seeing her with her hair down felt like such a privileged She seemed to radiate purity and beauty, and she was now blushing furiously. He realized he was gawking, and soon their moment was interrupted by loud coughing.

"Excuse, I guess my throat is a little sore." Ken got up and grabbed a glass of water, shaking his head at the sight of those two. They were obviously into each other, he just couldn't see what was keeping them apart. "They're too dense to realize it", he whispered to himself.

"What was that Ken?"

"Nothing Sere. Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"No thank you."

"No, wait do we still have that homemade fruit juice mom made?"

"Yeah, be right there."

Ken fetched her drink and Serena turned to Darien.

"So what brings you to my humble abode?"

"Actually, I was visiting Ken. He was showing me something and we just lost track of time."

"What were you guys up to?"

Darien remembered the book on the table and snatched it.

Serena saw his movements, "Whatcha got there Dare Bear..?" She moved closer and was able to make out the cover of the book and shrieked.

"KENNETH!"

Ken bolted out the door, leaving a fuming Serena behind, and a scared looking Darien in the Tsukino residence.


	11. Chapter 11

Serena spun round and was now looking at a rather frightened Darien.

"Hey Dare Bear. Why don't you let me see that book you've got there?"

Darien recognized her tone of voice. It was the tone that said, _I'm asking nicely, but if you don't do what I say then im probably going to force you anyway_s.

"Oh, um this? Ken said it was nothing, we didn't even look at it. I grabbed it because I actually got to go, but I thought it was my book. I guess it's yours?"

Serena realized Darien was probably the worst liar, even worse than herself. She laughed slightly at his ramblings, but stopped him from leaving.

"What did you see? Why were you two laughing when I got back?"

Darien really didn't want to answer her questions, but he knew Serena was a force to be reckoned with when she was on the offensive. He looked at her and couldn't help but smile. Her cheeks had flushed pink from her anger, but she still looked heavenly. He realized no matter how angry she could ever be, he'd always see her as the angel of his dreams. But this was better because unlike his dreams, this was real and she was so close to his grasp, she was tangible. He could hold her if he wanted to, unlike the dream princess.

"Serena.." He began to answer her, and he got up from his seat at the dining table. She looked at him expectantly, having been fully aware that Darien had been lost in thought.

"Well I found Ken after class, and we started talking and we ended up coming here. He was going to show me his car, you know typical guy stuff, and well your Mom was here and she started gushing about you.. And then we wanted to leave but she insisted we stay for a snack, she had just baked a pie. She said she'd leave you some in the fridge. And well then after eating she was telling me about you and Ken, how you guys grew up and all that. But then she was telling us a story about how you guys got lost at the mall one day and then she brought out her photo album and she couldn't stop telling us about your childhood. She seems to love you very much,"

At this point Darien hadn't even realized he was feeling slightly jealous of her. She had the love of a woman who seemed to want nothing but the best for her children, and he'd never experienced any of that. It definitely wiped the smile off his face.

As for Serena, she was following along Darien's story, and even though she started off mad at them for seeing her baby pictures (there were some very embarrassing ones) she noticed how Darien's shoulders slumped when he trailed off, and how his smile turned into a bitter frown for a fraction of a second. She knew Darien was an orphan, Andrew had mentioned that bit, but she didn't know his whole story.

"Well I gotta go. Got things to do, later Meatball Head." Darien began to walk towards the door, but Serena trapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry." she didn't say anything else, but held onto him. He didn't know what she was referring to, but then he realized she must be talking about his parents. He had never told her what happened to them, or about his childhood because he didn't want her pity. She'd probably stop fighting with him and see him as the poor boy who has no parents.

"It's fine. It wasn't your fault, but I've got to go Meatball Head."

Serena winced and Darien immediately regretted his words. He was reverting back to his jerk self because that was easier than dealing with his unresolved feelings. He wanted to tell Serena though, but how could he know that she wouldn't pity him like the rest of the world?

"Darien, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know we're friends. Just don't expect me to go easy on you." She was out of his arms and swatted his shoulders, encouraging their playful banter. She knew Darien would want to be treated the same, and there really was no reason to treat him differently because of his parents' death.

"I would expect nothing less of you Rena." He reached for her hair, and ended up stroking it. It was the softest and silkiest texture. He wanted to smack himself, because he forgot her hair was down and he was now twirling her hair in his fingers. It immediately brought a smile to his face and she saw that he liked playing with her hair.

Darien realized he was still holding onto her hair and let it go, containing his sadness at having to let go of his favorite Odango. Luckily he did, because at that moment, Mrs. Tsukino walked in.  
"You were gone mom?"

"Yes Serena, I left Ken and Darien here while I ran to the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner. Where is Ken?"

"I'll get him, he stepped outside to get something from his car" Darien wanted to avoid any awkward moments here, Mrs. Tsukino did not care if she embarrassed you, and most of the time she didn't even realize she was doing it.

With Darien gone, she addressed Serena, "Honey why didn't you tell me your boyfriend was so handsome? You need to bring him over for dinner. Oh he's perfect."

"Mom. Darien is not my boyfriend. I don't think he likes me like that. We're just friends. No big deal."

"Oh but honey he was so interested when I was telling the boys about your Halloween costumes, I just had to pull out the album and show them. He said you were such an adorable baby" Serena then witnessed her mother wink at her and wanted to run and hide. She did not need her mother as her wingman.

"They saw some of your costumes and even some pictures from when Sammy was born." She reached into the album and pulled out a photo of Serena holding a newborn Sammy. "Darien was quite intrigued by this one. He said you looked familiar, and that even as a little kid you had your meatballs." She laughed and Serena reached for the picture, smiling because she remembered that day. She had been so happy when Sammy was born and now she sometimes regretted asking her parents for a brother.

Ken and Darien walked in, and both said they were going to the Crown. Serena joined them, but they had to wait for her because she was not going out in public in her present state.

When they were headed out the door, they all said goodbye to Mrs. Tsukino and her sister who had just gotten back from a day of shopping. Right before they were out the door, Mrs. Tsukino called out to them, "Make sure Serena gets back before curfew. I trust you Darien"

And when they shut the door the two sisters could not control their giggling. They knew a perfect match when they saw one and couldn't be happier that Serena was past the bickering stage with Darien.

* * *

When all three of them got to the Crown, they grabbed a booth and Lizzie took their orders.

"My treat Sere, Darien." Ken gave them all a big smile, and when Darien refused to let Ken pay, they bickered for a moment before Ken beat Darien to the bill. Darien let it go, and then looked at Serena who was too preoccupied with her milkshake to even care that the guys were fighting over the bill. She had some milkshake near the edge of her lips, and he reached over, wiping it off of her in one swift motion.

Serena looked up and was pleasantly startled with Darien's actions. She knew he wouldn't do that to just anyone and felt glad he was comfortable enough with her that it didn't bother him. However, Ken had also been watching them, and decided he could have some fun at their expense.

"So when's the wedding?"

They both looked at him like he was crazy, but they both were also blushing as if their worst secret had been exposed. Ken smirked. He decided this was too easy, and too much fun.

"Or did you elope or something? Secret wedding? Come on Sere, you always tell me everything"

Serena was so embarrassed, why was Ken saying all of this?

"Kenneth, you're crazy? Me and Darien? Married? When Earth freezes!"  
She laughed and tried to play it off. Darien was left imaging her in a wedding dress, walking up the aisle to stand by his side. He shock his side and realized he had missed their conversation, but he was probably better off not knowing.

Serena's communicator went off and she excused herself to to the restroom. As she got up, Ken suddenly remembered he had to leave in less than hour. He checked his watch and confirmed, he only had a few more minutes that he could spend here before going back to the Tsukino household and packing his stuff. He ordered another round of milkshakes for him and Serena, the Crown really did make the best, and this time Darien insisted he would pay for himself. Ken chuckled. He would miss the people he had met here. Maybe he would come back on the weekends?

"I'm going to miss this. These past few days were great. I'm glad I got to meet you, and all of Sere's other friends. They're all great. I'm really glad she has people who really care about her. She used to have such a hard time making friends as kids.."

"Serena? She couldn't make friends?"

"No, and I think it was partially my fault. You see, since we grew up together, we went to the the same elementary school and the girls would always give her a hard time for being friends with me. Some girls didn't realize or want to see that we are cousins, and they thought Serena was a weirdo for having a boy as a best friend. However, in middle school they didn't like her because she was the only girl I was friends with. That's kinda why I switched to an all boys, to see if they would leave her alone after I left. They did and well soon after I ended up moving anyways. But I'm glad she has you all. She used to tell me that she'd never have friends, because people didn't like her, and she knew she had done nothing wrong. I never really explained to her, but I'm sure she knows now. But she's always been this way, sweet, caring and genuinely nice. She just has a way with people, and that shines through each day. She could probably charm herself to be Queen of the world."

They both chuckled, and Darien felt like he still had so much to learn about her. She was so full of life, and she seemed like an open book, but in reality, she had so many layers to herself. He wondered how much he still would get to learn about her.

Serena joined them and told them that Rei and them wanted to know if Ken had left. They were all stopping by the arcade in a few to say bye.

"So can you wait for them? They really want to say a proper goodbye."

"Sure thing Sere. I still have some time."

In less than ten minutes, a group of six good looking guys and girls walked into the crown. Serena was in awe of her friends, they all looked really good together, like perfect matches; all her friends had smiles that radiated happiness from their faces.

"Sere! I haven't seen you in forever!"

Serena was assaulted by Jason who picked her up and spun her around., eliciting soft giggles from Serena.

"Okay okay, you can put me down now."

Jason spun her around twice more and then put her down. She was then bombarded by hugs from Zayn and Nick, all who had missed her and were abusing their hugging privileges in front of Darien.

Said Darien was busy keeping his face as calm looking as possible. He knew his 'friends' always exaggerated their greetings with Serena whenever he was there. Luckily all attention seemed to be on her, and even his scowls at Jason's antics were going mostly unnoticed.

Then Rei, Amy and Lita group hugged her, not wanting to be shown off by the guys. Serena was laughing and having a good time, she suspected they didn't want her to be sad when Ken had to go.

"Sere, do you mind introducing me to your other friends?"

"Oh my gosh! I cant believe I totally forgot!"  
She composed herself, and grabbed Ken, making him join the others that were standing.  
"Ken, these are my friends, Nick, Zayn and Jason. They're actually dating Lita, Amy and Rei."

"Guys, this is Ken, my cousin and my accomplice"

Ken shook hands with Nick, and he could have sworn he felt a spark. He then shook with Zayn and they both seemed to have experienced blurry vision. Then Jason shook his hand and he was sure that guy was running a fever.

"Well I hate to cut this reunion short but I actually have to start heading back to your house Sere. I still have to pack and mom's probably going to need help with all the things those terrible twins brought along. And she went shopping today. Good thing we brought two cars."

They both started saying their goodbyes when Darien said he'd join them.

"You don't have to. Plus I don't know if you want to risk meeting my dad.."

"Yeah, you'd probably be better off if you were facing the inquisition. Uncle Kenji is worse than a lioness protecting her cubs." Ken and Serena laughed, remembering the time her friend Melvin had been so scared he had run off.

"Oh. That bad? Okay then. Well take care then Ken, Have a safe trip!" Darien then took hold of Serena's hand and added. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Crown?"

"Yeah. Bye Darien"  
"Bye Darien, take care!"

Serena and Ken had taken a few steps out the door when they bumped into someone. They heard a cat's anguished cry and Serena realized it was Mina.

"Mina!"  
Ken suddenly got up and offered her his hand. Serena decided she would give them some alone time and quietly moved away, waiting for Ken a few feet away.

"Mina, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh no, it's totally fine. It's really my fault. I was telling Artemis that he needs to stay away from my sweaters, he loves to pull them apart." She laughed slightly when she realized that might scare him off. He laughed though and picked up Artemis. Artemis was immediately taken to Ken and let himself get pet. Ken handed Artemis back to Mina, and as she was saying goodbye he held her hand so she could listen to him for a few more seconds.  
"Hopefully this isn't too forward or too sudden, but um, would you mind giving me your number? I mean if it's okay with you."

Mina was totally shocked and speechless. Ken was beginning to feel rejected but then she grabbed a pen out of her purse and wrote her number, which she placed in his hand. Ken was suddenly thrilled and remembered he had to go.

"Sorry I can't stay and chat, but I've got to go. I'll see you around. Bye!"

"Yeah, See ya!"

Ken was still processing the last five minutes, and staring at the phone number in his hand.

"Earth to Ken! Kenny! Helloooo. Anyone home?" Serena then smacked him and he looked at her.

"I can't believe she actually gave me her number"

"I can't believe you actually asked for it. Anyways, we need to go, you can't make Aunt Irene wait for you."

"Right"

They were off. Serena hoped this encounter was only the beginning of something between Ken and Mina, while Ken suddenly felt more sad at the fact that he was leaving. Maybe he could live at Serena's? He only had one more year of high school left anyways. And plus, he couldn't help Sailor Moon if he was hours away. Yes that was it. He'd let his parents know his plans had changed.


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as Ken and Serena got home, they were attacked by their mothers. Both were running around when they got there, making sure they didn't forget to pack anything.

"Ken honey, don't forget to pack your _you-know-what_s. Don't leave anything embarrassing behind sweet pea"

Ken groaned. His mother was a wonderful person, but she knew how to embarrass him quite easily. Serena just laughed. She remembered her aunt had called Ken 'sweet pea' in front of some girls who were trying to get Ken's attention once, it was always great to see him embarrassed. Ken only seemed to lose his cool whenever he was pestered by Serena or his mother.

A little while later they were all finally done packing and were loading things onto their cars. Ken was driving himself, and his mother had his siblings. Their dad had left the day before because he had business to handle and could not miss out on work.

"Bye Sere! I'll try my best to come visit soon. And not let two years go by.. Haha. I'm sure going to miss the moonlight around here"

He winked at her and she wished he was a little closer so she could have smacked him. They still were uncertain of what to do since his transformation, but since he had to go, it was being put on hold.

"Take care Kenny! Oh and let me know about you and Mina!"  
She smirked. She had yelled the last part so her aunt could hear and now Ken had someone else who knew about Mina.  
When the Williams had left, the Tsukino household was rather quiet. Serena decided she could at least start her homework, which surprised her. She had a rather dull evening and after watching some tv, fell asleep promptly.

* * *

The next few days went by like a blur. Between school, scout training and run-ins with Darien, Serena's free time was non-existent. However, today was now Friday, so she made her way towards the bookstore. She had manga to catch up on!

Serena walked into the bookstore, walking straight towards the manga aisle. She was excited because she had gotten a few extra yen to spend for her improving grades. As she turned the corner she bumped into someone.

"Ow! Oh I'm so sorry", two voices said at the same time. Serena looked up and was surprised to see Mina.

"Serena! Oh my gosh how have you been? I feel like we haven't really talked? Wasn't school such a bore today?"

"Yeah, it definitely was. I was so glad when the bell rang. I ran home and changed because I just had to come get my new manga. What about you? Are you doing anything today?"

"No, well I don't think I mentioned this before, but my father was the ambassador in London, so now both my parents have constantly been attending dinner parties, leaving me bored. I had planned to go to the mall, shopping helps me keep busy, and plus trying on new outfits is super fun". She had a genuine smile on her face, as if shopping solved the troubles of the world. Serena was glad Mina liked to shop, maybe they could be shopping buddies from now on?

"Why don't we go shopping?!"

"Are you busy today? I was just going to grab a book and head towards the mall."

Serena happily agreed and after both had purchased their books they headed to the bus stop where the would take the bus to the mall.

After a crowded bus ride, they were at their destination. They were both avid shoppers, and being both bubbly blondes, everyone seemed to love them. They were stopped a few times and asked if they were twins and after denying it, they eventually began to tell people they were twin sisters. They were truly bonding, and after a few hours of walking the mall and shopping to their hearts content, they decided they needed a food break.

They began telling stories of their childhood. Serena laughed when Mina said she used to bite her mother's lipsticks when she was younger, as payback for whatever nonsense she was upset about. Mina could not believe that Serena had gone through a tomboy phase when she was in elementary school. Serena affirmed this, saying she had befriended many of the boys and until recetnly, they had seen her as one of the guys. It hadn't bothered her though, because she had never liked any of them but many girls were always jealous of her for being able to talk to the guys while they were too shy to approach them. She didn't want to dwell on this though, she had gotten over her awkward phase and was steadily beginning to have more confidence in herself. Of course, being Sailor moon brought on new levels of confidence, but she was still a teenage girl at heart.

After the girls finished their meals they headed to a jewelry store and browsed through the bracelets. Serena was entranced by one that had a rose charm and was reminded of Darien. Whenever he crashed onto her, or whenever she was close enough, she could smell a strong musky rose scent. It threw her off because flowers were a girly aroma, but Darien's scent was intoxicating. She'd even considered asking him if he wore cologne but decided against it. That would be downright embarrassing.

Mina found one that had a white cat on it and bought it because it reminded her of Artemis. She told Serena she found him as a kitten and had been raising him since she was 10. They both left and decided it was time to go home so they headed back to the bus. They had been pleasantly sitting for a few minutes when Serena's communicator went off and she explained to Mina she had an alarm set to remind her that she needed to meet Rei at her temple. Luckily, she could get off at the next stop and transform. Running through the rooftops would be faster than the bus, and she still didn't know where the youma was attacking,

After leaving Mina on the bus and apologizing for leaving she called the girls. Mercury answered and told her to hurry towards the mall. Serena groaned and wished she had just stayed there longer and quickly got there just in time to see why Mercury didn't bother talking nor explaining the situation. Serena saw that there were three youma attacking, and although Mars, Jupiter and Mercury were trying their best, they couldn't defeat them. She quickly joined the fight and was faced with her own youma. Now there was one for Jupiter while Mercury and Mars were sharing one.

The scouts were quickly losing energy, and although the mall had been quickly evacuated, there were still a few people who had been drained and were now unconscious on the floor. Sailor Moon realized that they could not keep this up, three youma were just too much. They could probably defeat two if they all worked together, but three was too much, and she began to worry. Jupiter looked like she could hold on a little longer but Mars had a horrible cut on her right arm. Mercury was helping Mars, but her bubbles were not very effective against the youma. Their rival was a youma that looked like it had been created from metal and had two long blades for hands.

The one Moon was fighting seemed to have ground based attacks and looked like a rock ogre. Jupiter was fighting one that had water attacks, so her thunder was effective in theory, but the youma was too fast for her to charge her attack. Moon was growing agitated and missed the look the youma gave her. It charged towards, hurling a boulder that would be deadly. All she could do was stare and cover the attack, but it never came. Instead, the boulder had been smashed into pieces and there were about a dozen roses that had sliced it into pieces. She had never been so thankful for those flowers in her life. As she composed herself she gave a nod of thanks to Tuxedo Mask who was now fighting of the youma. She decided she'd help her scouts and joined Jupiter. They were doing okay now, with Tuxedo Mask's help but then she heard a cry that did not sound good. Mercury had a gash along her left leg, and was out, unconscious on the floor. She had intercepted an attack that would have sliced Mars stomach and now Mars felt horrible for letting Mercury take the damage. The youma knew it had them cornered, both were on the floor, Mars was cradling Mercruy, trying to stop the bleeding but failing. Moon called out to Jupiter and let her know she'd be going to stop the youma from getting to them. They were once again outnumbered and then if things couldn't get worse, both Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask were cornered together by the youma. They were assaulted by a combination attack and were knocked several feet away, leaving only Moon to fight.

"Sailor Moon! Look out!" Mars had seen the youma going to attack Moon and with her last energy knocked off course with her fire. She then collapsed on top of Mercury, but mouthed to words 'sorry' to Sailor Moon who now had to face the youma alone.

Moon was hysterical now. She was being quickly approached by all three youma and could do nothing but worry over her unconscious friends, she didn't even care that the youma were coming for her, she just needed to know that her friends would be safe.

The youma were advancing and were now only a few steps away. Sailor Moon braced herself, the tears were now flowing from her and she was still in shock.

"Venus Love chain encircle!"

Sailor Moon waited for the impact to come but instead she felt herself land next to someone. She looked up and was speechless. Sailor V was standing next to her, helping her back on her feet.

"Sailor V?"

"Venus. Are you ready to get back in there Sailor Moon?" She nodded and then Sailor Venus leaped into the air, landing behind one of the youma and kicking it to the ground. Moon didn't know how much help she could be, but joined her and the two were fighting all three together now. However one of them quickly maneuvered itself and separated Moon and Venus so now Venus was facing one and Moon had two.

Venus looked at Sailor Moon and began to worry. She knew they could each take out one, but would their efforts be enough to take down the third?

"Sailor Moon, I can take this one out and I know you can take one out. Once we get one each, let's get the third together."

Moon merely nodded and watched as Venus prepared her attack.

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"

The youma was hurled into the air, but Venus looked exhausted. It had been a more powerful youma than normal and Venus knew the Dark Kingdom was getting stronger if they could send out three powerful youma at once. She didn't realize just how much of her power she had exhausted and fell to the floor, her feet were too tired to keep her standing.

She saw Moon and noticed the panic written all over her face. However, the youma were also not as fast anymore, after having been fighting for so long but she still couldn't take out both of them with her tiara. Venus looked toward Moon apologetically and began to get back up on her feet.

Sailor Moon was indeed scared for herself, but she could not help worrying about the fallen scouts and Tuxedo Mask. She closed her eyed and wished she had the strength to defeat both youma, and in a blinding flash, she had summoned a scepter from out of no where.

She heard a whisper of a voice tell her the words that would activate it's power and she raised the scepter in her hands to the air, yelling "Moon Crescent Radiation!"

She could not keep herself steady and then Venus had joined her, keeping her hold on the wand firm, as the scepter released a silver swirl of glittering light that soon encompassed the youma and after a few more seconds they were dusted.

This of course was a drain on her power and she collapsed, falling onto Sailor Venus.

* * *

When Serena opened her eyes, she was surprised to find that she was on a comfy bed. She looked around and realized she was in Rei's room. She tried to get up but winced. She had a horrible headache and her body was in no condition for walking.

She was alone in the room and figured the Rei had slept somewhere else. She decided it would be best to call for her and let her know she was awake. She wanted to know how long she'd been out and what happened after she had dusted the youma.

"Rei!"  
Her voice was weaker than usual, but Rei still heard her. She opened the door and Serena was surprised to see Lita and Amy behind her.  
"What happened after I collapsed?" She went straight for the questions, she wanted to know what happened and if they had seen Venus.

Amy spoke up, " Well we were all unconscious, and thankfully Sailor Venus was able to get us up. Serena noticed Amy was wearing jeans, which was unusual for her but dismissed that thought.

Rei kept going. "She woke me up first. I helped her get Amy and Lita. Tuxedo Mask was gone though. Anyways, we were all too weak so we carried you into a closed store. The mall was closed off but the police got there eventually and we didn't want to be spotted. Thankfully Venus was not as weakened as us or we would have been found by the police and our identities could have been compromised. We ended up staying transformed, Venus was still with us and we all rested. Once we were all okay and we could carry you, we brought you here. And there's more."

Serena looked confused. "What did you tell my parents? Do they know where I am?"

Lita joined in, "yeah, I told them we were having a last minute sleepover at Rei's and your mom said that was okay."

Serena was still confused. "Well what else happened?"

Rei gave an awkward smile. "Well we were carrying you back here and Venus was telling us about how you saved us all, but then your transformation dropped and you were Serena. And Venus recognized you."

Serena fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling before asking to explain further.

Amy decided to finish telling her the rest. "She knew you in your civilian form. We invited her to stay here and she agreed. When we got here we had a long discussion and she told us she was sorry for joining us so late. Sailor Venus is one of us."

At that moment, Mina walked in and Serena was still not fully recovered and now was overwhelmed with all the events that had occurred, so she passed out from the shock.

After sleeping for an hour Rei poked her cheeks. "Wake up meatball head. We'd appreciate it if our leader would grace us with her presence."

Serena snapped into attention and knew she had to power through this meeting before she could sleep the rest of the day. Luckily it was Saturday.

Mina approached her and gave her a heart warming smile. Serena knew if she had picked someone to be a scout she couldn't have picked anyone better than Mina. They were already becoming great friends, and now they were also bound by the ties that their princess shared with all of them.  
The phone rang and Rei went to answer. The girls began talking about the fight and how last night they had all discovered their identities. Serena was slightly bummed out that she missed it, but was glad they were all together now, and most importantly, they were all safe. They realized this was why Rei had a vision that there were five scouts and Serena remembered her theory about Sailor V.

"Hey Venus, you wouldn't happen to know who the moon princess is?"

Venus looked at her and shook her head. She decided she'd tell them about how Artemis was her guardian and her experience with the Dark Kingdom in London.

Rei came back in and looked at Serena and handed her the phone.  
"It's Ken. He sounds mad about something…"

Serena took the phone and answered. "Hello? Ken?"

"SERENA! ARE YOU OKAY? I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT. I'M GONE FOR ONE WEEK AND YOU PASS OUT AFTER A BATTLE! THANK GOODNESS LUNA TOLD ME. I COME TO TOKYO FOR THE WEEKEND AND I'M GREETED WITH NEWS THAT YOU NEARLY DIED?!"

At this point Serena hung up the phone and hid under the covers. It was going to be a long day.

_AN: Sorry for waiting almost a month to update. I was hoping someone would review and urge me to update but no one did (sads). I hope you take the time to review, because honestly that's the only way I know if you guys are liking the story and it makes my day when someone says they liked the chapter :) Thanks for reading! Oh yeah, thanks to all of you who have favorited/followed my story! _


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